Gripe for cable-railroads



(Model.) l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H.v OASEBOLT. Gripe for Gable Railroads. No. 237,813. Patented Feb.15,1881.

N. PETERS. FHOYO-LITHDGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. n C.

UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

HENRY CASEBOLT, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

GRIPE FOR CABLE-RAILR'OADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,813, dated February15, 1881.

Application Iled December 11, 1880.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY GAsEBoLT, of the city and county of SanFrancisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Gripesfor Cable-Railroads; and I hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and eX- act description thereof.

My invention relates to certain improvements in that class of gripeswhich are used for cable-railroads, for the purpose of connecting anddisconnecting the car to which the gripe is attached with a movingcable, said gripe extending through a slot into a tunnel or tube inwhich the cable runs and gripes or releases the cable to move or stopthe car.

My invention consists in such improvements in the gripe as will enablethe cable to be dropped for any purpose, as when crossing another cableline or when it is desired to switch the car from one track to another,and also in a means for picking it up again after being so dropped.

It consists, further, in a novel mechanism for operating the gripe,whereby it is caused to grasp the cable tightly, or release it, so thatthe cable can run .freely upon the gripe and the car be stopped, all ofwhich will hereinafter more particularly appear.

It further consists in a mechanism to throw the cable, by a positivethrust, out from between the griping-shoes:

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanationof my invention, Figure 1 is an elevation ot' one side of the griper,Fig. 2 isa vertical section of Fig. l, through :v of Fig. 1. Fi g..3 isan elevation on the side opposite Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectionon line y y'of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows side elevations illustrating themovement ot' the lower jaw. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section, lookingupward, beneath the truck, to illustrate the mode of fastening to thetruck.

Let A represent the outside plates or strips of the gripe, formed in oneentire piece, to have the upper segment or lever-guide, X, or it may beformed in separate parts, the segment X being attached to the strips Ain any practicable manner. t

Across the strips A, about midway of their length, extends the cross-barB for securing the gripe to the car, which is done by means `or platebolted thereto.

(Model.)

of the plates c, movably secured to the under side of the floor-beams bythe staples 2 2 and receiving upon and through them the lugs a, theclasps b b preventing the frame from jumping upward from any cause. Theplates c are attached loosely to the car by means of staples 2 2 in sucha man'ner as to allow the gripe sufticient play to be free of the jar ofthe car and prevent it from being knocked against the slot through whichit passes.

To the lower part of the strip A, I attach the upperjaw or. clamp, D, ofthe griping device. This jaw may be constructed ot'one solid piece, butl prefer to construct it of a base or solid piece, to which is titted ashoe, E, having a groove in it to lit over the upper part of the cableC, the shoe being secured in place in any suitable manner, as by anothercovering This is for the purposeofremoving the shoe when,from any cause,

it becomes worn.

Between the strips A are the sliding strips F, formed in two sections,which are hinged together, as shown at G, the lower section being madeof one piece, caused by the strips F coming-togetherbelowthehingeG.Thelower section is extended transversely to form the arms-H, or thesaid arms might be made separate and attached to the lower sections ofthe strips F. rllhe ends of the arms H carry the horizontal rollers Lfor the cable to pass over. Vertical rollers M are supported by bracesattached to the lower section of thestrips F, and move up and down withit.l These vertical rollers M serve to diminish the friction of thecable C when running loosely within thejaws, and prevent it from chafingagainst the gripebars A.

To the transverse arms H, on the lower section ot' the piece F, issecured the lower jaw or clamp, J, directly under the upper jaw, D, andconstructed in a similar manner to the said jaw D, having a base-pieceand a die, K, above it, with a similar groove in it to lit the lowerpart of' the cable, forming, together with the upper jaw, a completegripe for the cable. When the jaws D and J are drawn close to eachother, the arms H are drawn up; but when separating, the lower portion,consisting ot' the arms H and lower jaw, J, are free to swing to oneside, being permitted thus to do IOO by the hinge at G. This enables meto pick up the cable after having let it go entirely. If the gripe werenot thus hinged, so that it could swing to one side, it would, when lowered upon the cable running loose beneath it, strike against it with itslower part, instead of passing a little to one side, so that the cablemight be drawn within the jaws; but when my gripe is lowered thejaws, inopening, cause the lower portion to swing to one side of the cable; butin being raised, it will come up under the cable and secure it. Toassist the cable in ndingits place Iprovide the lower jaw, J, andtransverse arm H with the inclined surface or rollers e, which directthe cable up beside the lower jaw, J.

The central bars, F, and lower jaw, J, are

opened in the following manner: Across the bars F, I attach transversebars or plates XV, having a lug or pin,V, in the center. To thetransverse bar B, I fasten the brace or supporting-piece I, to which Ipivot the segment gearing U, having' a cam-slot, m, in its lower portionin which the lug V fits. To the transverse bar B, a little above and toone side, is pivoted the segment-gear T, meshing with the segment U, andhaving attached to its upper end, or being extended into, theoperating-lever S, which passes beside the guide-segment X to withinreach of the driver being provided with a ratchet-lever, g, and ratchetf, fitting into teethon the segment X, as shown, whereby the lever S isadjusted. A bar, R', connects the pivot-points of the two segments T andU, and prevents them from being forced apart.

The operation of the gripe, as thus far described, is as follows Thecable is conducted within and between the open jaws D and J. To raisethe lower jaw, J, so as to gripe the cable, I pull up the lever S whichoperates the segments T and U, the cam-slot in the segment U raising thelug or pin V, which raises the bars F and the arms H with the lower jaw,J. Thus the cable is griped and carries the car with it. When the carhas to stop the lever S is reversed and the jaws opened sufciently toallow the cable to pass along over the rollers L, past the rollers M,and through the grooves in the jaws; but sometimes the cable C has to bedropped entirely, as when another cable-line has to be crossed or thecar to be switched off onto another track or into the car-house. Toprovide for this I have further constructed the gripe as follows:Between the bars F, I put the bar Q, extending upward through or pastthe transverse bar B, and is provided on its reverse side with aprojecting lug or pin, n, which ts through a slot, o, in the lever It,which is pivoted to the reverse side of the transverse bar B, as shown.The bar Q, extends downward, and has a joint or hinge formed at G. It isbent backward or otherwise formed to pass behind the solid piece formingthe lower section of bars F, and terminates in an inclined orwedge-shaped piece, I. Resting on this piece I are theinner ends of thetwo levers 0, pivoted as shown, and curving about the vertical rollersM. The outer ends of these levers are provided with pulleys N. In thepresent case I have shown them as semi-globular or what I would termboss7 pulleys.

Now, when the cable is to be dropped the lower jaw, J is forced down soas to release the cable. To push it off completely I press down thelever It, which raises the bar Q and the inclined pieces P, and thisraises the ends of the levers O and throws the pulleys N forward againstthe cable, which action pushes it oil from the lower jaw, J, s0 that itcan drop below the gripe.

The bar Q is hinged coincident with hinge G, to allow the device toconform itself` to the movement of the lower jaw, J, and arm II. Whenthe lever R is raised the pulleys N rcsume their original position, andwill then be out of the Way of the cable when it is returned to thegripe.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a cable-gripe, a griping-jaw, A D E, fixed against either lateralor vertical movement, in combination with a vertically-movin g jawprovided with a hinged section adapted to swing in and out of the lineof the vertical movement as thejaws are closed and opened, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In a cable-gripe, in combination with the lower swinging jaw, theinclined guide-rollers e e, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

3. The stationary jaw-bearing bars A A, and the movable jaw-bearin g barF, provided with lug V, the cross-bar W', brace I, and shackle It', incombination with the toothed segmental cam U, provided with cam-slot m,and lever S, provided with toothed segment T, meshing with segment U,all constructed, arranged, and operated, as set forth.

4. The lever It, vertically-moving bar Q, and wedge-piece l), incombination with rocking-levers o o, moving in a horizontal plane andcarrying pulleys N, and the lower jaw of the gripe, substantially asdescribed.

5. The cable-gripe provided with the downwardly-projecting pins a, incombination with the perforated plates cc, staples 2 2, and latches b b,for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY CASEBOLT.

Witnesses:

FRANK H. BRooKs, S. H. N oURsE.

ICO

IIO

